A group of French students had their Great Expectations dashed when they arrived in Chatham to visit Dickens World this morning, and found it closed.

The 32 teenagers, and their three teachers, arrived in Medway this morning and were due to have a tour of the popular attraction, but when they arrived they found it closed and a number of signs in the door, saying the building had been repossessed.

The group, from a suburb 20km away from Paris, had paid £340 for the tour.

Teacher, Martine Wright, said: “We just arrived this morning with our 32 students from a suburb next to Paris and we just found out that Dickens World was closed, it was really disappointing. We were expecting so much more.

“We came two years ago and it was fantastic. We are very sad, and the students to, of course.”

The students have been learning about Dickens at school, in preparation for the four-day trip.

They are due to visit the Historic Dockyard later this afternoon and are going on a day-trip to Canterbury tomorrow.

Ms Wright added: “This was supposed to be our first visit and it’s very disappointing. I don’t know whether we’re going to get our money back.”

Staff turned up for work at Dickens World last Wednesday to be told that they were being made redundant and customers who visited the Chatham Maritime centre were told it was shut.

There was condemnation after it was suggested that staff had discovered their fate via a Facebook post.

Management did not confirm the closure but stock was seen being loaded into vans and the doors to the premises were locked.

It is understood that the Britannia Theatre and Porters Bar and Grill, which are part of the complex, have also been closed, but this is unconfirmed.